10 – The Descent (2005 – Neil Marshall): This is the horror film that we wait for but rarely ever get. I absolutely love this film, the setting and style mixing perfectly with the screenplay and execution for scares. The ending just pounds it all home by not giving you the typical horror ending as opposed to the understated one that few films of the genre actually have the bullets to pull off. Absolutely essential for genre fans.9 – Chicago (2002 – Rob Marshall): Pretty much perfect musical that mixes the story and music wonderfully, and what music too. The high energy keeps you completely entertained and engaged even after the third, fourth viewing.8 – Battle Royale (2000 – Kinji Fukasaku): Manages to pull off entertaining you and making you think at the same time. Completely entrancing, its one of those films that stays with you for days after watching it, and for all the right reasons.7 – Where the Wild Things Are (2009 – Spike Jonze): Another film that pulls you in and stays with you. Captures the simplicity and complexity of childhood, the joy and the ache. One of the few films to show the creativity and imagination that kids have, scary and not. I really don't think this film is too scary for kids, and that they will embrace it as they should.6 – The Dark Knight (2008 – Christopher Nolan): A completely engrossing, and flat-out, kick-ass awesome movie that works on so many levels. One of the best directing jobs this decade and a series of fantastic performances, including the knock-out work by Heath Ledger which words cannot even describe, make this experience one of the best of 2008 and this decade.5 – Love Exposure (2009 – Sion Sono): A four-hour Japanese epic which I doubt very many of you have seen, but should. Sion Sono is the director of Suicide Club (2002) and Strange Circus (2005), two films that while not making this list, tied together for my runners-up list. Love Exposure stands as Sono's magnum opus, beating himself out once again with this amazing, entertaining, thoughtful and masterful film, which passes along faster then some films that run half its length; meditating on many themes from religion to lust, to love to morality, balancing them deftly with the care of a master without becoming even slightly pretentious. Hugely entertaining and even ending on a happy note without it feeling tacked on, this is the work of a true master.4 – Inglourious Basterds (2009 – Quentin Tarantino): One of the most entertaining films to come out this decade, and easily Tarantino's best since Pulp Fiction (1994). Genre-bending, historically inaccurate, and completely, totally, utterly engrossing fun, Tarantino pumps out another high energy and completely totally entertaining masterpiece with Inglourious Basterds.3 – The Departed (2006 – Martin Scorsese): Underrated when placed on the list of Scorsese's other works, The Departed is actually one of his best, crafting a completely engrossing and entirely entertaining masterpiece which completely engrosses you in its world that for the films entire running length, you forget is merely a world in a film.2 – Lost in Translation (2003 – Sofia Coppola): Sofia Coppola proved with this masterpiece that she is not merely working off the success of her father, crafting a mood piece that will stay with you, in not in the forefront then the back of your mind, for years. This is the type of masterpiece film making that film was made for, completely engrossing you with its expertly crafted characters and story that you completely fall in love with over its 102 minute running length, that feels entirely too short, yet completely perfect.1 – The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 – 2003 – Peter Jackson): In the end, there really only was one. Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers and Return of the King are excellent and amazing films separately in their own right, but together they meld into one masterfully crafted whole that works not just as a great fantasy film but as a totally immersive experience that creates a world entirely unlike our own and thrusts us into it in a way that to this day six years after its final release remains unmatched in both scope and power. This is perhaps one of the most entertaining films ever made and still remains one of the only trilogy's or series to get every chapter absolutely pitch perfect; Harry Potter hasn't done it and neither did The Godfather, but the Lord of the Rings did.

And here are the runners-up in alphabetical order.

Almost Famous (2000 – Cameron Crowe): A sweet and engaging film that manages to pull off the rare skill of giving you fully developed characters that you care for and completely win you over.Babel (2006 – Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu): A powerful film from a fantastic director, Babel has stayed with me since I first saw and I can still honestly say that I've seen few that match it.Brokeback Mountain (2005 – Ang Lee): Gut wrenchingly tragic, the film is a wonder to behold, beautiful to look at, expertly directed and wonderfully acted, the film remains a near-masterpiece even four years after its initial release.Elephant (2003 – Gus Van Sant): A powerful, understated film. Elephant remains a masterpiece and completely memorable even now because of its honesty, and its ability to show the tragic acts of violence it portrays at face value, without giving an explanation because, in all honesty, there is none.Juno (2007 – Jason Reitman): What can I say, the film grew on me. What makes Juno great is how it cares completely about the characters, making all their choices and all that happens to them more important to you, their situations all the more tragic and funny, and bringing them to life in a way that few films even try to anymore. Even with the quick quips and witty zingers, these characters feel completely real, and that is the films real success.Kill Bill (2003/2004 – Quentin Tarantino): Fantastic entertainment, thats all needs be said.Marie Antoinette (2006 – Sofia Coppola): A wonder existentialist picture, Coppola may not have been able to match Lost in Translation with her third film, but dammit she tries and does a fantastic job.No Country for Old Men (2007 – Joel Coen, Ethan Coen): A rare film that completely engrosses you every time you see it, one of those films that when viewed outside of the hype context it was placed in upon its initial release, holds up even better then before.Spirited Away (2001 – Hayao Miyazaki): Another masterpiece by one of the only people making childrens/animated films worth watching. Spirited Away stands among the pinnacle of Miyazaki's considerable work along with Princess Mononoke (1997). SA is a delightful, whimsical animated masterpiece that will go down in animation history as one of the highlights of a genre of hits and misses.Strange Circus/Suicide Club (2005/2002 – Sion Sono): Alright, I kinda cheated by tying two films together in what technically constitutes a top ten list, but its the same director and they're both total masterpieces so ask me if I care. Sion Sono struck gold with Suicide Club (2002) and again with Strange Circus (2005), both disturbing, hard to watch but at the same time entirely engrossing and difficult motion pictures that ponder a lot and offer a lot questions without giving any easy answers (or any answers at all, leaving them up to you). If there are any films that you should be checking out right about now the works of the master director Sion Sono are it.

Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:13 am

Blace

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

Time for some changes! (and actual rankings this time)

This list is NOT the movies that I think will be remembered by audiences decades from now. This is the movies I will remember the most. Eat that

The 2000's were personally my favorite decade of movies. Granted, I grew up mainly in these years, so a lot of these films that I gave a generous rating too, while flawed, I still hold up to be ones that I will want to see again and again just because I treasured the first viewing experience of the film so much.

Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:28 am

Evenflow8112

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

Culled from my Top 100/Runners Up List (With 'Million Dollar Baby' added at the last second. That is a truly powerful, amazing motion picture experience, which I apparently forgot in the interim of time between viewings).

1. YiYi (2000) - The best film of this decade by a considerable margin, 'YiYi' might be the best film about the dynamics of the household since the golden days of Ozu. That Yang was able to fill the film further with damning statements about social breakdown and corporate oppression is testament to not only the late director's virtuosity but also the sheer scope and depth of his achievement. This might be the best pure drama from the world of Asian cinema since Zhang Yimou's early 90's classics.2. Memento (2001)3. City Of God (2002) 4. Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001-3) 5. The Dark Knight (2008) 6. In The Mood For Love (2000) 7. Finding Nemo (2003) 8. No Country For Old Men (2007) 9. The Departed (2006) 10. Battle Royale (2000) 11. Talk To Her (2002) 12. Time Out (2001) 13. Million Dollar Baby (2004) 14. Mystic River (2003) 15. Lost In Translation (2003)

Most Annoying Film - "Napoleon Dynamite", followed by everything else that wretched refuse of a director Hess has ever conceived.

Most Accomplished Sequel - "The Dark Knight", followed closely by "The Two Towers", "Spider-Man 2", and "21 Grams" (which is essentially "Amores Perros" Part Deux).

Most Depressing Motion Picture - "Lilya 4-Ever", followed by "Requiem For A Dream" and "Mysterious Skin".

Least Deserving Best Picture Winner - "Crash", followed by nothing of the same magnitude. What an overrated waste of a film.

Worst Oscar Snub - (Tie) "The Dark Knight" Best Picture/Director omission; Marisa Tomei's snub for Best Supporting Actress for "In The Bedroom" (that's right, she came full circle).

Best Left-Field Role - Robert Downey, Jr. in "Tropic Thunder". One of the few times this decade where I pain to think of an another actor in the role, and it also receives points not only as comeback gesture but also because it was so entirely unexpected (and, of course, in black-face). Pure comic brilliance.

Most Promising Director Of This Decade - Todd Field, followed by Laurent Cantet and Alejandro González Iñárritu (barring another pretentious disaster of an Oscar-grab).

Most Depressing Decade For A Director - David Fincher, David Lynch (excepting the sustained brilliance of "Mulholland Drive"), and Terry Gilliam

Most Iconic Film Of The Decade - "The Dark Knight", followed by "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Incredibles"

More to come...

Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:35 am

DunkinDan89

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

What do you mean by Most Depressing Decade for a Director? Do you mean the content of his movies or that he had a bad run? David Fincher directed two terrific movies in Panic Room and Zodiac. I have yet to get to 'Benjamin Button'. I'll agree with Lynch, I'm still in the minority that believes Mulholland Dr. to be his best film, after that he kind've veered off into weird projects like Inland Empire and he produced the horrible, never ending 90 minute film Surveillance, which his daughter directed.

We disagree on both Babel and Crash, two great movies in my opinion. Although I wouldn't put them in my Top 50.

As far as the film that grew on me the most from this decade, I'd have to go with Sexy Beast, which I originally liked, but now I love it, Ben Kingsley is freaking amazing in that film.

Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:11 am

Evenflow8112

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

DunkinDan89 wrote:

What do you mean by Most Depressing Decade for a Director? Do you mean the content of his movies or that he had a bad run? David Fincher directed two terrific movies in Panic Room and Zodiac. I have yet to get to 'Benjamin Button'. I'll agree with Lynch, I'm still in the minority that believes Mulholland Dr. to be his best film, after that he kind've veered off into weird projects like Inland Empire and he produced the horrible, never ending 90 minute film Surveillance, which his daughter directed.

We disagree on both Babel and Crash, two great movies in my opinion. Although I wouldn't put them in my Top 50.

As far as the film that grew on me the most from this decade, I'd have to go with Sexy Beast, which I originally liked, but now I love it, Ben Kingsley is freaking amazing in that film.

Bad run. All three most certainly degraded from their former accomplishments. 'Panic Room' was a good film, but it also pointed David Fincher in a much more conventional, genre-based direction. Compared to his brilliant 'Fight Club' and the broodingly haunting 'Se7en', his films from this decade display a major downturn in artistic ambition. This would be the equivalent of Todd Haynes deciding to make straight-forward movie fo the week dramas about illness and bourgeoisie sensibilities; once a maverick drowns his work in the feared conventions of 'routine' film-making, his mark is lost. Fincher quite simply lost his distinct touch, and if you want to call it maturation you may, but as Haynes proved, just because you can create a movie that APPEARS to be conventional (as with his brilliant 'Far From Heaven'), that doesn't mean it has to be anything approaching it.

David Lynch has always been an inconsistent director but this decade it appeared to me he barely WAS a director.

Terry Gilliam has made truckloads of awful or trifling cinema this decade; I can't even imagine his latest film, as good as it might be, redeeming the wasted carcass known to the cinema-savvy as 'Tideland'.

Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:36 am

peng

Director

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:42 pmPosts: 1378Location: Bangkok

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

Another resurrection of old thread (hope you guys aren't bored yet). I have been addicted to making lists lately. It's been interesting reading some favorites from early 2009, now that we are almost halfway through the new decade now.

1. Be With You (2005)2. Before Sunset (2004)3. The Dark Knight (2008)4. The Departed (2006)5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)6. The Emperor's New Groove (2000)7. King Kong (2005)8. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)9. Fan Chan (My Girl) (2003)10. Inglorious Basterds (2009)

11. Lost in Translation (2003)12. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)13. Memento (2001)14. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)15. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)16. Gladiator (2000)17. United 93 (2006)18. The Descent (2005)19. Wall-E (2008)20. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Almost Famous - Not one fraction of a second feels like it shouldn't be there.American Splendor - A story extremely well-told. It's sad but not painful; I see so much of myself in this version of Harvey Pekar that I have to remind myself to cheer up a bit.The Incredibles - Love me some Pixar and this one is everything that makes them the best: beautiful, sweet-natured, and unmistakably human. My favorite superhero movie, at any rate.Inland Empire - David Lynch's dream of the same story happening around the globe, throughout time. The last scene is amazing and genuinely moving.Lost In Translation - Oh, Bill Murray. The chemistry between the two leads makes the relationship near documentary-like. Memento - Words ultimately fail. From the acting to the chronology the movie is perfect; the end is so jarring that I could see this 100 more times and still feel surprise.My Winnipeg - Guy Maddin's best movie; a documentary on Maddin, Winnipeg, and all mixed with random fiction to make it the only movie like it.The Prestige - Like Memento, this one has any number of ways in and out of it. The music alone could make a great movie.Serenity - I'm partial to Joss Whedon's work and tend toward the forgiving but, good lord, this one is so entertaining, funny, scary... science fiction at its best.Superbad - Hilarious and perceptive. This movie alone could sustain me for the next year as far as comedy goes. There Will Be Blood - Too sad! The most ambitious epic, as finely orchestrated as anything I've seen in the past five years. So gorgeous.

Milk, The Fellowship of the Ring, Mulholland Drive, A.I., A Prairie Home Companion... the list could go on and on. I wish I had started watching movies earlier than I did.

I put Serenity on the list? Huh. I wouldn't do that again. Didn't realize I loved it as much as I claimed to some five years back. Really, except for a couple of titles, this could be someone else's list.

_________________"The Internet has given everybody in America a voice. For some reason, everybody decides to use that voice to bitch about movies." - Holden McNeil

Hm... not sure about a couple of those, but in general... not too shabby, 24-year-old Ken. Not shabby at all.

God, remember The Visitor? So good.

Also, shoutout to Pedro for having the unmitigated gall to count The Lord of the Rings (9.5 hours of movie, and that's if you go with the truncated theatrical editions) as one film.

I have to say, one of my most dominant memories of the 20-oughts on film are those dialogue passages from The Dark Knight. I mean, it's a good movie... but there are parts when Bale might as well be saying "WHARGLE BARGLE FLARGEN" and his words would be just as legible.

_________________The temptation is to like what you should like--not what you do like... another temptation is to come up with an interesting reason for liking it that may not actually be the reason you like it.

Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:38 am

Jeff Wilder

Director

Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:07 pmPosts: 1460

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

Top 20 Of The Decade. In no particular order.

The DepartedNo Country For Old MenMystic RiverChildren Of MenSin CityMinority ReportInglorious BasterdsAlmost FamousCollateralBefore SunsetThank You For SmokingPreciousHalf NelsonGood Night And Good LuckMulholland DriveGone Baby GoneDoubtHustle And FlowWaking LifeZodiac

A few others:

Moulin Rouge: Style over substance sure. But what style.

A History Of Violence: Not quite one of the top ones of the decade. But works quite well.

There Will Be Blood: Effective parable. May have overpraised it a tad a the time.; But still great.

In looking over the decade as a whole i realize a few things:

1: The first two years were pretty dire with a few exceptions.2: 2002 was a slight improvement. 2004-05 were hit and miss. But the hits were good. 3: 2006-07 were the only real banner years of that decade in terms of overall quality. 4: 2008-09 were both pretty weak overall.

In terms of what Evenflow termed "Most Depressing Decade For A DIrector" I'd go with Oliver Stone. Spike Lee also seemed on autopilot for a good portion of that era and he also gave us his career nadir in "She Hate Me". But "25th Hour" and "Inside Man" save him. Stone on the other hand had been on a downward spiral of sorts since 1995's Nixon and nothing he did in the 2000s has changed that.

Best rebound: The Coen Brothers. After slipping with Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers, No Country and A Serious Man were definite rebounds.

A few other awards:

Most overrated films of the decade: Crash, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Chicago, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead.

Biggest Disappointments: Across The Universe, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Marie Antoinette, Australia.

I would hardly call Gone Baby Gone underrated since it has a whopping 94% on Rottentomatoes.

Mon May 05, 2014 11:55 pm

Unke

Second Unit Director

Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 1:45 pmPosts: 481

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

Ken wrote:

I have to say, one of my most dominant memories of the 20-oughts on film are those dialogue passages from The Dark Knight. I mean, it's a good movie... but there are parts when Bale might as well be saying "WHARGLE BARGLE FLARGEN" and his words would be just as legible.

Oh, I thought that was exactly what Batman said. After all, it's the only logical explanation for the plan to capture the Joker, isn't it?

ApocalyptoCaché (Hidden)Children of MenCity of GodCrouching Tiger, Hidden DragonDarwin's NightmareDeep BlueDownfallEternal Sunshine of the spotless MindGrizzly ManInfernal AffairsIn the Mood for LoveIrreversibleLord of the Rings: The Fellowship, TheLord of the Rings: The Return of the King, TheMementoMulholland DriveNo Country for Old MenPan's LabyrinthShaun of the DeadSidewaysSin CitySpirited AwayWaltz with BashirWhite Ribbon, TheX-Men

This breaks down as 26 movies, two of which are animated, three documentaries and twelve foreign language movies.

You don't empathise with A Serious Man because you're not yet a married square with the threat of being rubbed out of life hanging over you.

_________________... because I'm a wild animal

Wed May 07, 2014 4:32 am

Vexer

Auteur

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:02 pmPosts: 3654Location: Zion, IL

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

NotHughGrant wrote:

You don't empathise with A Serious Man because you're not yet a married square with the threat of being rubbed out of life hanging over you.

Yeah you're probably right, marriage is a LONG way off for me.

Still I can say the acting in the film did little to impress me.

Wed May 07, 2014 4:40 am

ilovemovies

Producer

Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:04 amPosts: 2205

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

I haven't seen A Serious Man, so I can't say anything about that movie, besides, it's an odd movie to compare Full Throttle with. But while Full Throttle was far from great, there's one scene in particular that I don't think I've ever laughed harder and longer than. It's the scene where Matt Leblanc is trying to describe to John Cleese what Lucy Lui and the other Angels do for a living. But he ends up actually making it sound like they are hookers, if I remember correctly. Combine Leblanc's description and Cleese's reaction and facial expression while Leblanc is talking, and like I said, it made laugh long and hard. It really is one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen in a movie.

Wed May 07, 2014 4:42 am

Ken

Director

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 6:26 pmPosts: 1728

Re: Favorite Movies of the 2000s

I think being a married square or whatever is probably helpful for getting A Serious Man, but it's still a solid watch for anyone who's ever been on the rotten side of a random, indifferent universe.

_________________The temptation is to like what you should like--not what you do like... another temptation is to come up with an interesting reason for liking it that may not actually be the reason you like it.

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